A Bioethicist Explains Why Restricting Opioid Supply May Not Be The Right Solution For Opioid Overdose
Year after year, America’s drug overdose crisis is worsening.
In the 12-month period ending in June 2021, the most recent period for which there is reliable data, more than 101,000 people died from drug overdose in the U.S., – an increase of more than 20% from the previous year.
2021 was also an important year for analysis of the overdose crisis, with numerous books and articles shedding light on both the causes and potential solutions to the crisis.
Not all analysis is in agreement, however. As a bioethicist who has spent much of the past several years researching the ethical and policy issues related to drug use, I’ve become particularly interested in an evolving tension between commentators on the drug crisis.
While many blame today’s crisis on an increase in drug supply over the pa...